Picking Up the Pieces
by EpicBuffalo
Summary: Sequel to Fading Fast and Persevere! Reeling from the aftermath of their last battle, Red takes justice into his own hands while Silver looks for answers. It's finally time to take a final stand against Team Rocket, but what will be the outcome? Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to the first chapter of Picking Up the Pieces! Not the best title, I know, but just ignore that :) Not a lot going on in this chapter, since it's mostly an introduction, but I don't think it's too horrible. **

**Also, I accidentally spelled Yellow's uncle's name 'Wilson' instead of 'Wilton' at the end of Persevere. My bad. **

**Once again, since this is a sequel, I suggest you read Fading Fast and Persevere if you haven't already. **

**I'm almost positive there was something else I was going to say, but I always forget what I mean to put here. Oh well. However, I should mention that I DO NOT own Pokémon Special. And now, on with the first chapter.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

From her spot on the front steps of Elm's lab, Blue watched as Red continued to train his Pokémon. It was currently Pika's turn, and the small yellow mouse looked as though he could barely stand on his paws. Earlier, Saur, Aero and Lax had been in similar situations. Red had been at it all day- and not just one day, either. Red had changed.

Blue knew why, of course. They had all changed since the battle at the Sky Pillar. Red, though, had gone to new extremes. He was constantly training, and the exhaustion was obvious in his Pokémon. Red's Pokémon were like their trainer, though- determined not to let anybody down. So they trained.

Sighing, Blue stood and walked over to the boy. He was just about to issue another command to the Electric-type, but stopped when he saw the girl approach. She bent down and scooped up Pika, then faced Red. "Red, you need to stop this," she said. "Look what you're doing to your Pokémon."

Red glanced down at the pitiful yellow bundle in the girl's arms. Pika was exhausted, as evidenced by the heavy panting. His eyes drifted shut, and soon he was asleep in Blue's arms. "They're fine," he replied, picking another Poké Ball. "We need to keep training."

"But why, Red?" she cried. "What good will it do to keep exhausting your Pokémon?"

He glanced at her briefly, then looked to Pika, before finally avoiding looking at them altogether. "There's just something I need to do."

A heartbeat passed as realization slowly dawned on Blue's face. "You're going after Team Rocket."

The silence gave her all the answer she needed.

She sighed. "Red, I know you miss her. I do too, okay? We all do. But you have to stop this. You can't always put everything on your own shoulders." The boy remained quiet. "I promise you one day we'll beat them once and for all. But this isn't the way to do it, Red. You've seen what they can do. Charging in by yourself will only get you hurt."

Red's eyes softened as he continued to stare at his exhausted Pokémon. "I don't know what else I can do, Blue. I can't just sit around and wait for something to happen. We weren't prepared for them last time. I'm not making the same mistake again."

"Red, you know it wasn't your fault."

He shrugged. "It doesn't really matter anymore, does it? What's done is done. But it's never too late for justice."

He turned away, heading for the forest, leaving Pika in Blue's arms. She sighed as she heard a distinct _"Poli, Ice Beam!"_ Shaking her head, she returned to the lab.

Certainly, Red was going about it the wrong way- but she wouldn't rest until there was justice for Yellow, either.

* * *

"So how are we going to do this?"

Gold stood at the head of the table- if it could be called that, as the table was round- and eyed each person sitting around him in turn. Green raised an eyebrow, but Crys sighed. "That's the third time you've asked that, Gold. We don't _know_."

Professor Elm nodded. "We're going to need to get more information about where they're holding them, what kind of facilities, how many guards… We're not going to save them today, Gold."

They were currently in the midst of planning to rescue the Legendary Pokémon Team Rocket had captured so far- those being Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Ho-Oh, Lugia and Latios. There was very little to go on, especially since Team Rocket had been suspiciously silent since the battle on the Sky Pillar.

Gold plopped back into his chair, putting his face into his palm and leaning his elbow on the table. The group was silent, having run out of ideas. They were mentally exhausted, and more than ready for the whole ordeal to be over.

"…What about that disk?" Gold ventured, glancing around again.

"What disk?" Crys asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"You know," Gold continued, a grin beginning to form on his face. "The one I stole from Team Rocket that day. That had passwords for their stuff, right?"

They stared at Gold in shock, some with their jaws dropped. "Where is it, Professor Elm?" Blue asked, turned to him.

"Well… In my desk drawer, I think." He got up and walked to his desk, pulling a drawer open. He moved things around inside before producing a gold-coloured disk, which he held up with a grin.

Gold grinned triumphantly. "See? I _can_ have good ideas."

* * *

Silver leaned against the heavy lab door as it closed behind him. He sighed. They had made progress, but the situation was really a bit much to take in. He still felt a bit awkward around the other Pokédex Holders, feeling responsible for everything that had happened. He felt that Red, especially, found it difficult to trust him. He understood completely.

Aside from the obvious tragic outcome of the battle, some things had more or less returned to normal. Rayquaza hadn't been seen since it had escaped Team Rocket, and had quite possibly found a new home. Team Rocket had been quiet, too- though some of the Pokédex Holders feared it was like before, when they had managed to capture Latios without anyone knowing about it.

Things had changed, too, of course. They were more determined than ever to disband Team Rocket once and for all. There was no more room for failure. In their own way, they each planned to exact revenge on Team Rocket. Silver was more than willing to help.

He could hear the sounds of orders and attacks coming from the forest, so he turned and headed in that direction. Just as he had figured, there was Red, training his Gyarados. He watched for a minute, still startled at the drastic change in his senior. His eyes were cold and determined, and he ignored the obvious exhaustion in his Pokémon. With a start, Silver noticed Red's Poliwrath, leaning against a tree, lacking the strength to stand. Shaking his head, the red-haired boy stepped into the clearing.

Red noticed him before he had a chance to say anything. "Go away, Silver. Gyara, Hydro Pump!"

With a tired grunt, the Pokémon complied. Silver remained silent for a moment, then said, "I'm just as angry at my father as you are, Red."

Red glared. "No. I really don't think you are."

Silver returned with a patented glare of his own. "For a different reason, maybe. I didn't know her as well as you did, but he still betrayed _me_. We have a common goal, Red. I won't get in your way if you don't get in mine."

Several heartbeats passed as they continued to stare each other down, then Red nodded. He reached out a hand, which Silver shook. "Deal." Then he turned back to Gyara, shouting, "Flamethrower!"

Satisfied, Silver left the forest, ready to begin a mission of his own.


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome to chapter two! I decided to get this up early as a bit of a Christmas present, assuming everyone thinks it's a good thing :) Also, just 'cause I could, I included a Delibird to be extra festive. I'm not too sure about this one, though, especially the first part :) **

**Oh, before I forget, I really need to tell some people who like Pokémon, 'cause no one I know would really care. I caught a SHINY Floatzel the other day on my Diamond :D I was so happy :)**

**Anyway, happy holidays (or lack thereof) and more than likely, I'll see you in the new year! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter Two

Being the son of the leader of Team Rocket made it rather easy to acquire certain 'forbidden' things- such as said leader's computer.

Silver couldn't say for sure whether or not Giovanni knew he'd taken it, but that was irrelevant. It held much valuable information about Team Rocket's plans and motives, and much more could be accessed now that he had the proper codes.

Of course, he'd never tell _Gold_ how helpful his idea had been.

He sat in his 'secret lair'- Gold's name for it, though really it was just a well-hidden cave- and tapped away at the keyboard, Sneasel by his side. For several hours he'd been sifting through various plans for capturing the Legendaries, but most of them had already taken place. Retracing his steps to the very beginning, he noticed a folder he hadn't seen before.

_Top Secret!_

_Well_, he mused, _that's certainly a good name for something you don't want anyone to touch..._

He clicked on it.

Inside were the usual reports about meetings and progress in the planning stage. He scanned them lazily, having read much the same many times before. Finally, he came to the last one. It seemed innocent enough- by Team Rocket standards, at least. It was simply a list of locations of Team Rocket buildings, and all of them were familiar.

Then he got further down the list, and suddenly none of them were familiar. He recognized the locations, but to his shock, he hadn't realized that there were Team Rocket forces there. The list was jarringly long, and he could feel the dread growing in the pit of his stomach.

"How could I not have known about all of these?" he asked Sneasel, who looked on worriedly. Silver had been keeping tabs on Team Rocket for a long time- and, in his opinion, he'd been doing a pretty good job. This, however, made him realize how terribly wrong he'd been.

One in particular caught his eye. "That's not far from here," he whispered to himself, just loud enough that Sneasel could hear him. He stood, gathering his Poké Balls, and turned to the confused-looking Pokémon standing beside him. "Come on, Sneasel. Let's check it out."

* * *

Red scanned the National Park lazily as he leaned against the back of the bench. At Blue's insistence, he'd agreed to hold off on training for the day, and that left him with little to do. Pika, beside him, seemed glad of the break. The small Electric-type dozed in the warm sun, his tail curled around him. Pulling his cap down over his face, he closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

Not far away, he could hear two boys, probably late teens, talking. They laughed loudly, shouting at each other, and Red could feel his irritation begin to rise- he had a much more difficult time controlling it lately.

A PokéGear rang, and Red heard one of the boys answer it. He heard a "Yes, sir," and a "Sure thing, boss!" before the device was apparently hung up. "Boss says it's just about time to go," said the one who'd been on the PokéGear. "We better head out there now!"

"Yeah," the other one replied eagerly. "Don't wanna mess up our first mission!"

This caught Red's attention, and he slowly and carefully lifted his cap so he could see. Neither seemed particularly strong, and the Pokémon they had called out- a Delibird and a Honchkrow- would be no match for Pika.

He shifted his gaze to see that Pika was already awake, and had turned his gaze upon the boys. "Well, Pika," Red whispered, grinning, "why don't we go... have a word with them?"

Hopping off the bench, Pika made his way over to the boys and their Pokémon. One of them noticed and said, "Look, a Pikachu!"

"Ignore it," the other advised. "We've got more important things to do." He turned to get on his Honchkrow.

"I'd suggest you don't ignore my pal here," Red said, walking over to the two. "He's not too friendly when he's ignored."

Surprised at the cold, sarcastic tone in his trainer's voice, Pika looked up at Red's face. He was grinning rather cruelly, and the look in his eyes dared the boys to try something. Pika suppressed a shudder and turned a glare upon the boys.

One of them looked surprised and mildly nervous, but the one with the Honchkrow said, "Yeah? What's he gonna do?"

"Why don't you show 'em, Pika? Thunderbolt."

Cheeks sparkling with electricity, Pika stepped forward, growling. Gathering energy, he launched it toward the two Flying-types, hitting them dead on. They cried shrilly in pain, then collapsed to the ground. They moaned weakly, but made no attempt to get up.

"That good enough?" Red asked, stepping closer. "Now then. I think you're going to tell us exactly who you were talking to, where you were going and what you were going to do there."

The more nervous of the two stepped forward. "We were talking to our boss! He told us-"

"Boss of _what_?" Red interrupted, though he was fairly certain he knew the answer.

"Team Rocket," he replied, and he didn't miss the narrowing of Red's eyes. He continued, "He told us to go to the Ancient Tomb in Hoenn."

The connection was made in Red's head almost instantly. "Registeel? You guys _still _aren't stopping?" His hands clenched into fists and he suppressed the urge to grab the boy by the throat. He looked the two over. "Why are you working for Team Rocket, anyway?" he growled. "Little young, aren't you?"

"What's it to you?" the braver one asked, glaring.

Red shook his head. "It's nothing to me. Throw away your lives if you want." He looked them directly in the eyes, alternating between the two. "Just know that when I take down Team Rocket, any and all members are fair game. If you're still associated with them when that time comes, you're just more Rockets to be taken down, and I won't hesitate." He recalled Pika, then tossed another Poké Ball. In a flash, Aero appeared. "This is the only warning you're getting."

In a gust of wind he was off, Aero gripping his shoulders. The two boys remained on the ground, suddenly rethinking their decision to join Team Rocket.


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome to** **chapter three! I'm really sorry it took so long :( I just sorta lost interest for a while. But anyway, here it is :) Not much else to say, I guess.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Gold crouched in the darkness behind a large, leafy bush. Crys knelt beside him, and not far off were Blue and Green. A tall, well-hidden building loomed before them, daring them to approach. Several windows were lit, signifying that the place wasn't empty. Shifting his position slightly, Gold kept his gaze trained ahead. It was almost time to move.

With Silver's help, they had tracked down the positions of the captured Legendaries. This was their first attempt at a rescue- the Legendary Birds were being held captive inside this facility, and it was time to free them.

Green and Charizard flew past them, stopping in front of a window and peering inside. That particular window was dark, so it was safe. Charizard's powerful jaws opened and flames erupted from them, melting away the glass and metal bars blocking the potential entrance. Not for the first time, Gold was grateful Green was on _his_ side.

The window was small, so Green entered by himself, recalling his Pokémon once he was inside. There was silence, and soon the entrance to the building slid open. Green, having used information gathered from the computer Silver had stolen to open it, beckoned them inside.

"Okay," Green said once they were all inside. "Everybody remembers the plan, right?" They nodded. "Okay. Just remember to be quiet and be careful." With that they split up, heading off on their mission in pairs.

* * *

Aero placed Red down not far from the Rockets gathered outside Registeel's home. No one noticed him, and he took a moment to take it all in. It looked just like all the other times Team Rocket had gathered to capture a Legendary. Large, odd-looking machines were set up in various places and several powerful Pokémon awaited orders.

Currently the Rockets were focused on opening the entrance to the Ancient Tomb. They were fiddling with various buttons and switches on their machines, though they didn't seem to be having any luck. Still keeping an eye on them, Red pulled out two Poké Balls. He tossed them, making sure to block the brilliant flashes they made when they burst open.

Lax and Gyara were suddenly before him, and he leaned toward them, whispering orders. Gyara and Aero opened their mouths, sending a blast of water and pure energy respectively. As always, the Rockets were caught off guard, and Red took the opportunity to attack.

Seeing that they were being attacked, the Rockets began to scatter, most leaving their Pokémon behind. As one of the men ran by him, Red reached out and grabbed him by the back of his uniform. The force of being pulled back sent the man sprawling to the ground, and Red's foot was on his chest before he could move.

* * *

Blue and Green charged through the hallways of the Rocket building. It was dark- none of the rooms were lit, and though they couldn't see well, they were likely safer. If this part of the place was currently abandoned, they likely wouldn't be seen.

They came to a stop in front of a door that looked exactly like all the others. Green pulled out a Card Key- once again courtesy of Silver- and swiped it through the electronic lock. It beeped quietly in recognition- though it sounded much louder in the total quiet- and the door slid open.

Inside the room was just as dark as the outside, and there was a low hum of machines. A blue glow could be seen from one of the corners, so that's where they went.

It turned out to be a good decision. The glow came from a large, round holding cell, and inside Articuno was slumped against the confines. Its eyes were closed and its breathing shallow, and Blue and Green got right to work disabling the machine.

Green mentally thanked Silver again as the light faded and the side of the cell opened. Articuno opened one eye weakly, but made no attempt to escape. Green sighed.

"Guess we're going to have to take it," he said, placing the Ice-type in a Poké Ball. With that accomplished, they ran from the room to find their next target.

* * *

"Gold, you have no idea where we're going, do you?"

He turned back to look at Crys, following a few steps behind. "Of course I do!" he whispered back harshly, folding his arms.

"Really." She didn't sound convinced.

He ignored her, mostly because she was right (though he would never admit it), and continued his search for the room they'd been assigned to find. "I'm sure it's up here somewhere," he mumbled so Crys couldn't hear. "Ha!" Forgetting about being quiet, he ran forward. "Look, here it is!"

"Shut up, Gold!" Crys scolded. "You want someone to find us up here?" Shaking her head, she pulled out the Card Key Silver had given them and swiped it through the lock. They entered as soon as the door was open.

A gold-coloured glow rose up from the corner of the room, and Gold and Crys ran straight to it. They found a round cell, and inside sat Zapdos. As quickly as they could they disabled the machine, then stood aside for Zapdos to fly out. It stayed where it was.

"What's wrong?" Gold asked. "Why won't it go?"

"It can't," Crys replied. "Look how weak it is. They must've been keeping them weak so they wouldn't try to escape." Pulling out a Poké Ball, she put Zapdos inside. "Okay. Let's go."

* * *

"So," Red began with fake politeness, "mind telling me what you guys thought you were doing here?"

The man, who Red noted was probably younger than him, glared up defiantly. "I do mind," he growled. "I'm not telling you anything."

"Oh, really?" Red looked away and motioned with his hand. A second later, Gyara glared fiercely down at the young Rocket, making him strongly rethink his defiance.

"W-we were capturing Registeel," he said. "Boss' orders. Don't hurt me!" He clamped his eyes shut in fear of Gyara.

"Where is your boss?" Red asked, ignoring the boy's terror.

"I don't know, I swear! He just calls us on the PokéGear and tells us what to do. Only the higher-ranked members get to see him."

Unable to detect any hint of dishonesty, Red removed his foot. Saying nothing, he recalled Gyara, then began to walk toward his other Pokémon. As Aero began to lift into the sky, he couldn't shake the sudden sick feeling of being no closer to anything than when he began.

* * *

Green and Blue raced out of the Rocket building a few minutes after Gold and Crys had. Crys showed them the Poké Ball containing Zapdos, and their seniors presented Articuno and Moltres. They released the Birds, and as they had gained back some energy after being away from their cells, they had plenty of strength to squawk gratefully and fly home.

It was a much-needed victory after far too much loss. Their spirits were high as they boarded their Flying Pokémon- but there was still much more to be done.


	4. Chapter 4

**Welcome to chapter four! Ugh. I'm SO sorry I keep taking so long. I don't mean to, I'm just lazy and I've sorta been losing interest. I WILL finish this, though. It just might take a while :)**

**I've got a date I'd like to finish this by, but I won't even bother saying what it is 'cause there's no way I'll make it. Less than two weeks 'till HGSS :)**

**Once again, sorry for the wait!**

**Enjoy!

* * *

**

Chapter Four

The evening air was crisp and cool. The sky was bathed in an orangey-pink glow, fading quickly to a dark blue. Silver heaved open the door to a small, rickety building hidden deep in an overgrown forest. Sneasel was next to him, quietly waiting for the boy's next move. Taking a deep breath and steadying himself, he made his way inside.

The inside was dark and empty, and did nothing to calm Silver's nerves. Hopefully, he felt around the wall near the door and was rewarded when his hand felt the shape of a light switch. He flicked it, and the place was illuminated by a dim light. Slowly he panned his eyes around his surroundings.

The inside was no better than the outside had been. An inch of dust covered nearly everything, except for a few things that were mysteriously clean. The many papers and folders covering the floor suggested a hasty getaway, yet some of the equipment looked recently used. The paint was peeling and the floor was cracked. There was a large opening in the far wall where the building was starting to fall apart. Silver made a mental note not to take long inside- who knew how long it would stay standing?- and continued on.

A loud crash startled him and he froze, waiting to see if anything would happen. He and Sneasel glanced at each other briefly before running toward the sound.

They relaxed upon seeing the source of the noise- a small, frail-looking old man in a tattered lab coat, struggling to lift the cart he'd apparently knocked over. While Silver debated whether or not to help him, he succeeded in righting it, then jumped upon seeing Silver standing behind him.

Placing a hand over his heart, he asked, "What are you doing here, son? There hasn't been anyone else here in months."

"I'm just, um, investigating," he offered lamely. "Why are _you _here?" he continued, hoping to avoid more of the man's questioning.

He smiled weakly. "Just finishing my projects." He reached down, picking up a metal tray, and placed it on the cart. He breathed heavily as though the act had exhausted him. "They shut this lab down ages ago. I've been here ever since to finish my projects."

Silver watched the man in silence, unsure of what he could say. The man's shaky hand reached up to pull off his glasses, which he cleaned on a rag he produced from his pocket. Placing them back on, he turned back to Silver.

"Ah, that's better. Now I can see you!" Suddenly his smile fell, and his eyes squinted. His dark eyes stared at Silver, as though measuring him up, and Silver forced himself not to look away. "You... You're Giovanni's son!" He took a small step back in disbelief. His hands were shaking, and he placed one on the cart to keep his balance. His smile returned, wider than ever. He raised his arms as if showing off the room. "This is all for you, my boy!"

"...What?"

The old man ignored him. "I never thought I'd live to see you again. Are you trying to find your father, son? He'll be so glad you've come back."

Silver glared. "I'm not going back to him." With that, he turned his back on the old man, unable to look into his sad, lonely gaze. "Do you know where he is?" Silver called back over his shoulder. "My... father, I mean."

Though Silver couldn't see it, the man's shoulders slumped. "No, I don't, son." As Silver left he called quietly after him, "Good luck to you, son... Whatever you're doing."

* * *

Not for the first time, Crys wondered how she got herself into these situations.

Xatee gripped her shoulders and soared through the air, keeping up with the pace of the other trainers. Gold was closest, gripping his billiard cue as his Remoraid team blasted water from their gaping mouths. Green and Blue were just ahead of them, navigating their way. Red and Silver were absent- not that that was rare anymore, Crys noted sadly. And it was still jarring not to see Kitty's large, glimmering wings flapping furiously to keep up. Four was too small a number.

They were on their way to a Team Rocket facility- it was still shocking how many there were- after doing more digging through a Team Rocket computer. They had uncovered where Suicune was being held, so naturally, there had been no hesitation.

Soon enough, they found the building and landed in front of it, hidden by the darkness of the night. It was a rather nondescript place- not tall, not short, plain grey, with a telltale red 'R' painted above the main door.

Gold and Crys were left outside as their seniors ran ahead, entering the building. With a dramatic sigh, Gold plopped down on the grass. "Why'd we even come if they're just going to make us sit outside?" he grumbled.

"They know exactly where they're going," Crys offered. "It won't take long and they'll be back." Secretly, though, she agreed with Gold- she wanted to be there when Suicune was freed. Sighing, though less dramatically than Gold, she sat on the ground beside him. Xatee, Mantaro and the Remoraid waited patiently near them.

Minutes dragged by, and with nothing to occupy his time, Gold was getting agitated. "Come on," he said. "Let's go look in the windows, see if we can find them."

"...Why?"

"Why not?" He got up off the ground. "It's better than sitting around doing nothing." He jogged around to the side of the facility, Crys reluctantly following behind. As Gold peeked through the lower windows, Xatee raised Crys to look through the higher ones.

Out of the corner of her eye, Crys saw a flash of aqua blue and momentarily, her heart soared. _Suicune!_ But her celebration was cut short when the building suddenly exploded, blocking her vision and knocking her away.

* * *

Green and Blue, sitting on Suicine's back, had barely crossed the threshold to the outside when the Rocket lab exploded. The second they'd opened the creature's cell, it had urged them onto its back and started for the exit. Now, safely outside, they watched the plumes of smoke rise from the side of the building they'd been on.

"What happened?" Blue asked quietly, shaking slightly.

"Must've been a security measure," Green replied, voice equally low. "See?" He pointed. "It's only coming from the room we were in. I thought it was odd that there were no Rockets around..."

For the first time, Blue scanned the area around the lab. "Hey, where are Gold and Crys?" Panic began to set in when she failed to see them. _We can't lose anyone else..._

The lab door slid open and Rockets filed out in a sea of black uniforms. Quickly they called out their Pokémon and took to the skies.

"What about Suicune?" Blue called to Green. She glanced down at the blue Pokémon. It gave her a short nod, then darted off into the surrounding forest. Turning back to Green, she saw he was dialling his PokéGear.

After a moment he said, "Gold? Are you okay?" Blue breathed a sigh of relief. "And Crys?" There was a pause as Green listened. "Okay. We'll meet you back at the lab."

* * *

Struggling to her feet, Crys carefully avoided putting weight on her left leg. She leaned as lightly as she could on Gold, then sighed once she was standing. She'd landed heavily on her leg, and now found it difficult to put any weight on it.

"Are Green and Blue okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. He didn't say anything."

"They freed Suicune, right? I saw it!"

Just as the words left her lips, a blue streak skidded to a stop in front of her. Overjoyed, she collapsed to her knees and embraced Suicune, while Gold grinned happily next to her.

This was a turning point, she mused as she and Gold lifted off for home. Things were looking up. They had now rescued four Legendaries, and confidence was slowly but surely rebuilding. It was only a matter of time before Team Rocket was finished once and for all.


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome to chapter five! Hopefully this makes up for taking so long before :) Not much happening in this chapter, it's mostly dialogue, but I think it's pretty good :)**

**You can get a shiny Pichu right now over Wi-Fi on Diamond, Pearl and Platinum. If you can, you should get one! They're only available until the 26th. They activate an event in HG/SS :) **

**Speaking of HG/SS, only a few days left! Plus I saw some pages of the HG/SS chapter of Special. Can't wait :)**

**Anyway, that's enough from me. **

**Enjoy!

* * *

**

**Chapter Five**

Everything was ruined.

His plan had fallen into place so easily- the memory loss, finding those children snooping around his lab, having the opportunity to finish them all off at once at the Sky Pillar. It had been perfect, and he'd been so close to achieving his ultimate goal.

And now, it was slowly being undone.

He'd received several concerning calls over the last several days. The most recent, coming merely hours ago, informed him that they had now lost Suicune. The Birds had been saved, the attempt on Registeel foiled- and Silver had been spotted.

Giovanni eyed the men seated at the long table in front of him. They shifted nervously under their leader's glare and did their best to avoid eye contact. Giovanni cleared his throat.

"I trust you all know why you're here." No one responded. "We need to regroup. I've worked too hard for it all to come undone now."

"But, sir," one Rocket ventured nervously. When his leader said nothing, he took it as permission to continue. "We suffered heavy losses at the battle at the Sky Pillar. We've had to shut down projects all over the place. We're-"

Giovanni stood furiously and slammed his fist on the table. "Shut _all_ of it down!" Stunned into silence, the men in front of him said nothing. Lowering his voice, Giovanni continued in a menacing tone, "I don't think you all understand how important this is to me. There is nothing else." The rage was gone from his eyes, but the Rockets remained on edge. Slowly, Giovanni lowered himself back into his chair.

"Our first step," he continued, "is to get Silver back. Protect the remaining Legendaries at all costs, but _get Silver back_. There is nothing without him." He paused briefly as if to collect his thoughts. "He was spotted by a scientist in one of our abandoned labs. He shouldn't have been allowed to leave." To add impact to his speech, he locked eyes with each Rocket in turn. "This scientist has been... taken care of, if you understand my meaning."

They did.

"Also understand that the same thing _can_ and _will_ happen to any of you should you make the same mistake."

* * *

Professor Elm's lab was frustratingly quiet. It was nearly abandoned- everyone had been feeling confined and needed to be away from each other for a while. Even Professor Elm was gone, running an errand a few towns over.

Unfortunately, Crys was feeling just as confined as ever, if not more so. She'd been condemned- that's the way it felt, anyway- to stay in the lab to allow her leg to heal. (Of course, she wasn't supposed to be walking around, either- what they didn't know wouldn't hurt them.) Of course, she liked being in the lab- she was in one all the time. It was funny, she mused, how being forced to do something automatically made it suck, even if you would've done it anyway.

She'd run out of entertainment about an hour ago. There was nothing good on TV, nothing interesting to read (nothing she hadn't already read, anyway) and she had quickly run out of ideas. Briefly, she had seriously considered getting Xatee to take her somewhere, but she dreaded the thought of anyone finding her missing.

So she sat quietly, watching Arckee dozing near her feet, wishing at the very least she was tired enough to sleep. The sound of the lab door creaking open jarred her out of her daze.

It took her a moment to recognize the figure, although he looked nearly the same- it had been a while since she'd seen him. She noted by the water dripping from his jacket and the way his hair was matted to his head that it was raining outside. Pika, a step behind, bounded inside the door he held open and shook himself dry.

As the door swung shut, it appeared Red hadn't noticed anyone else was there. He peeled off his jacket and hung it up, then took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair in an attempt to dry it. Pika noticed, though, and bounded over to greet her. Arckee opened one eye lazily, but quickly drifted back to sleep.

Finally noticing her, Red raised a hand awkwardly in a wave. "Hey, Crys," he said. "I, uh, didn't expect anyone else to be here."

Pika curled up to sleep in Crys' arms as she nodded. "Nobody else is. They needed a break."

"And you don't?" He sat down across from her at the table, playing with his hat for something to do with his hands.

Crys shrugged. "I can't go anywhere. Leg injuries make it hard to go anywhere, you know?"

His eyes widened slightly and his eyebrows rose in concern. "Leg injury? What happened?"

She gave him the condensed version of the story, starting with the rescue of Suicune, then moving backwards and telling about how they saved the Birds. Then she asked, "What about you, Red? What have you been up to? We haven't seen you in a while."

He remained quiet for a moment, still playing with his hat. He glanced briefly at Pika, sound asleep. Then he shrugged dismissively. "Not a lot, y'know."

Crys raised an eyebrow. "I find that hard to believe," she said with a good-natured grin.

Red grinned, too, but didn't meet her eyes. "I've been doing a lot of thinking." Crys nodded, but said nothing, waiting for him to continue. "About, you know... Everything."

"Yeah. So have I."

He nodded. "It's just, everything's different, you know? I don't like different."

"Me neither." They sat in silence for a moment, deep in thought. Crys ventured carefully, "We all miss her, Red."

His breath hitched almost unnoticeably and he winced. "I know." He tightened a fist around his hat and pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "It's just so hard sometimes. We're the good guys! These kinds of things aren't supposed to happen to us!"

Pika's ears twitched and he woke up to Red's distress. He hopped out of Crys' arms and made his way across the table, nuzzling his cheek against Red's arm comfortingly.

Crys nodded knowingly as Arckee yawned and stretched. She scratched his head and he leaned into her gratefully. "That's all the more reason to work _together_ to bring Team Rocket down for good."

They sat in silence as Red digested this, each lost in their own thoughts. The only sound was the rain pattering against the lab.

Suddenly, there was the sound of people outside. The lab door slammed open and a harsh voice demanded, "Where's Silver?"


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome to chapter six! I wanted to have it up today to celebrate HG/SS :) Unfortunately, I probably won't be getting them for a while, but I can't wait :) It's gonna be wicked to have a Cyndaquil again. (Of course, I'll be all nitpicky. "That's not what he said in the original!" That might take some of the fun out of it :p)**

**I think this one's pretty good. It picks up the pace, anyway. Perfect after all the dialogue last chapter :)**

**I forgot to mention last chapter, but thanks SO MUCH for the reviews. They're the best inspiration ever :) **

**Anyway, I'm off to play Diamond. Working on my Pokédex takes a lot of time :p**

**Enjoy!

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Chapter Six

Several heartbeats passed as Red analysed the situation. Standing at the door was a man in a black uniform, a telltale 'R' on the chest. Behind him, others in identical outfits were gathered.

"Well?"

It took Red a moment to register that he'd asked- for lack of a better word- for Silver. The man moved forward menacingly, dripping water onto the lab floor. The others outside crowded around the door, ready to pile inside if needed.

Pika tensed, glaring, while Arckee crouched defensively and snarled, baring sharp, glistening teeth. Crys' hand rested subconsciously on the orange dog's back as she stared the man down.

"He's not here," Red said, feigning calm.

The Rocket raised an eyebrow. "I doubt that. Where is he?"

Red shrugged. "Don't know. I haven't seen him in quite a while."

"You're lying," the Rocket insisted. He pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it. In a flash of light a Sandslash appeared, eyes narrowing hatefully. It raised its claws menacingly in front of its body.

"Sandslash!" the man called, swinging his arm forward to point at Arckee. "Fury Swipes!" Tensing its short legs, Sandslash leapt forward, aiming its sharp, blade-like claws at Arckee.

"Take Down!" Crys called, and Arckee jumped to meet the Ground-type in the air. The large, orange paws overpowered the smaller Pokémon, sending it crashing to the ground.

"We need to take them outside," Crys said, addressing Red. "We'll completely ruin the lab."

Red nodded and pulled out a Poké Ball. "Poli, Seismic Toss! Send it out the door!"

Hauling the downed Sandslash by the arm, Poli hurled it out the door, sending it crashing into one of the Rockets blocking the way. Turning slightly, Poli glared at the man still inside the lab. Arckee followed with a fierce snarl. Slowly the Rocket backed out the door.

Red and Poli quickly followed to continue the battle, while Arckee doubled back to get Crys. Rockets were quickly flinging Poké Balls and soon, six glaring Pokémon faced them. The rain had stopped, and the sun was beginning to appear from behind the clouds.

"Tell us where Silver is," the man from earlier commanded, "or somebody's going to get hurt."

"It won't be us," Red retorted. "Poli, Hydro Pump!" A huge surge of water burst from the Water-type, slamming into the Sandslash. Despite the type advantage, the Ground-type seemed to simply shake off the attack.

"Nice try," the Rocket taunted with a grin. "Swift, Sandslash! Now!"

Bright gold stars appeared in the air, flying directly toward Poli. Reacting quickly, Crys pointed to the stars and called, "Flamethrower!" Arckee opened his powerful jaws and intense flames spilled out, destroying the attack.

Less than a heartbeat later, a second attack seemed to come from nowhere. Arckee shook it off, glaring around to see where it had come from.

"Up there!" Crys pointed to a Yanmega, hovering nearby. The steady beating of its wings created an irritating buzzing. "Fire Blast, Arckee!"

Flames more powerful than before flew through the air in a stickman shape, but they barely touched the Bug-type as it quickly flew out of the way. "We're prepared for anything, aren't we, Arckee?" She pulled out a Poké Ball. "Go, Xatee!" Pointing to the Yanmega, she instructed, "Get it, Xatee! Peck!"

Leaving the Yanmega to Xatee, Crys turned back to the battle on the ground. Pika had joined in, and he and Poli were double-teaming Sandslash and an Octillery while trying rather unsuccessfully to dodge attacks from three other Pokémon.

A Mamoswine was swiftly firing bullet-like Ice Shards at a quickly weakening Pika. Unable to fend off three Pokémon at once, the pieces of ice worked quickly to slow the Electric-type down. "Come on, Arckee. Flamethrower!" The large Ice-type looked significantly weakened after being struck by the flames.

"Thunder!" Crackling electricity gathered in Pika's red cheeks, then struck the Octillery. It didn't get back up.

A Camerupt quickly followed up with an Eruption, the powerful Fire-type attack nearly knocking out the exhausted Pikachu.

_Pika was tired before the battle even started_, Crys noted. _I'm almost surprised he even lasted this long. Almost._

Poli knocked the camel Pokémon back with powerful bursts of water, trying to fend off it as well as Sandslash. Out of the corner of her eye, Crys saw the Yanmega fall.

"Great job, Xatee! But Red needs your help!" The Psychic-type quickly joined the fray. "Arckee, take out that Mamoswine!" The Fire-type complied quickly, sending orange-red flames directly into the enemy Pokémon. Deciding to ignore Pika and Poli, the Mamoswine turned all its attention to Arckee and Crys. Opening his jaws once more, Arckee spewed fire, hitting the Ice-type head on.

"Alright, three down!" Crys exclaimed, patting Arckee on the head. She quickly surveyed the field. Poli and an exhausted Pika were still fending off Camerupt and Sandslash, while Xatee was matching Psychic-type attacks with a Grumpig.

"Let's get that Grumpig," Crys whispered to Arckee. "Bite!"

Arckee clamped his powerful jaws on the pig Pokémon. The type advantage, coupled with the fact that it was already fatigued, finished it quickly.

Turning back to Red's battle, she noted with a gasp that Pika had collapsed, completely unable to fight. In better news, the Camerupt had been defeated, but Sandslash's type advantage over Pika had proven too much.

Pika lay in the middle of the battle, Red unable to reach him. Xatee quickly went and retrieved him, placing him gently in Red's arms.

"Poli!" Red called determinedly, ready to end the battle. "Hydro Pump, now! Finish it!" With a final surge of water, the battle was over.

Sandslash's trainer- the Rocket who had burst into the lab- looked around with a start as he realised his teammates had abandoned him. He backed away slowly, hoping to escape unnoticed.

"I don't think so," a voice called. He turned to see Red, Crys and their Pokémon glaring at him. With a toss of a Poké Ball, Saur appeared, wrapping the man and his Sandslash in his vines.

"I think we should call the others," Red said to Crys, loud enough that the Rocket could hear. They were both grinning unsettlingly. "They'll be quite interested to hear about our hostage."


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome to chapter seven! I'm SO SORRY I took so long... Really, even if it doesn't seem like it, 'cause I KEEP taking forever :( Ugh. Anyway, while I'm apologising, I should also say I'm sorry for using WAY too many dashes. Or hyphens. Whatever. You know what I mean :p**

**So, the new Pokémon games (Black and White) are gonna be like, epic 3D :) Thought I'd throw that in. **

**OH! Got HeartGold, by the way. So a lot of time has gone to that. That, combined with general laziness, makes SLOW UPDATES. Sorry again. :( No idea when the next one'll be up.**

**Enjoy!

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**Chapter Seven**

There's something incredibly disconcerting about being stared at by six angry children, particularly when you're bound to a chair.

Still stung by the loss he'd been handed by two of them, the Rocket glared back at them. There wasn't much he could do, however- his arms were tied tightly behind him, and his Sandslash had been taken away. Not that it would have been much help, of course, having been beaten soundly.

Red and Crys had called the others as soon as the man was taken care of- with Arckee as guard, of course. The man had glared even more hatefully when they called Silver, as though it had finally- and grudgingly- sunk in that he really hadn't been at the lab.

If looks could kill, they all would've been dead when Silver arrived.

Now they all stood around him, fixing him with different expressions- anger, confusion, amusement, distrust. The Rocket fought to keep his glare- or at the very least, look indifferent- but he couldn't help the pang of nervousness he felt staring down these six admittedly powerful trainers.

"So," Red said, shattering the silence and pulling the man out of his thoughts. "Care to explain?"

"Not particularly," the man grunted.

"That's a shame." Red shook his head in mock sympathy as Arckee began growling at the man's defiance.

Blue, behind Red and to his right, once again found herself shocked- and more than a little disturbed- at Red's new personality. It wasn't something she felt that she could ever get used to. It wasn't something she felt that she ever _should_ get used to.

Their interrogation so far had been fruitless. The man, despite being confined to a chair and threatened by six powerful trainers, had given them no information. Red was becoming irritated and angry, barely able to suppress the urge to physically attack the man.

The Rocket didn't respond to Red's remark, choosing instead to fix his gaze directly on Silver. Subconsciously, Blue found herself moving closer to the boy she viewed as a brother. The glare she returned to the man made him look away in fear of his life.

Red's face never changed. He wore a perfected mask of indifference, but inside he was boiling. He was no closer to stopping Team Rocket now than he'd ever been, and it felt like the missing bit of information was so close... Several feet away, in fact. It was sitting right in front of him.

The next several minutes passed in silence. Nervous glances were exchanged and brains were searched desperately for what to do next. Silver shifted uncomfortably, unhappy with all the fuss about him. Seconds ticked away.

Then, losing his last shred of patience, Red stormed from the lab. He flung the heavy doors open with a hard shove and let it swing closed behind him. The lab returned to silence, as if this was something they were used to seeing. At this point, Blue mused, it was.

* * *

Hands shoved deep into his pockets, Red made his way from the lab to the nearby route, full of trees and grass and weak Pokémon. His head spun as his frustration and anger began to fade, leaving behind regret and a hint of shame.

_What's wrong with me?_ He kicked at a small stone dejectedly. _I never used to do that, get angry so fast..._

He hadn't realized how far he'd gone until the entrance to Cherrygrove City came into view. He stopped, admiring the quiet of the small town, before sighing, turning on his heel, and starting back for the lab. He searched his mind frantically for something to say or do when he got back- a way to get information, something to break the tension between them. He came up with nothing.

There was a commotion further into the trees- shouting, yelling, cries of Pokémon. Slowly Red made his way into the trees, ducking behind shrubbery and trying his best not to step on loudly-cracking twigs. What he saw simultaneously made his heart drop and his blood boil.

Just ahead of him, Team Rocket- more members than he could probably fight off on his own- assembled in a rather spacious clearing. A painfully familiar pair of Dragon-types stood loyally next to them, awaiting orders. On the ground in front of them, weakened by various machines and attacks, a golden yellow feline form was slumped, unconscious.

_Raikou!_

He didn't need to see any more. Hurling a Poké Ball forward, he cried, "Saur! Solar Beam!" Training allowed the Grass-type to quickly gather sunlight, even in the dim forest. The bright beam shot forward, slamming into Dragonite's back. The orange Pokémon growled- though not in pain, apparently- and turned to face its attacker.

The Rockets, too, spun around to face the intruder. They grinned upon seeing the lone trainer attempting to stop them. One looked over at the Dragonite, nodding his head in Red's direction. It grinned, sucked in a deep breath, and unleashed a powerful Hyper Beam toward the boy and his Venusaur.

Red threw up his arms in a poor attempt to fend off the attack, but Saur was more effective, shielding his trainer with his blue-green body.

As the dust from the blast cleared, Red's eyes strained to see his Pokémon. Saur remained standing, teeth gritted, knees wobbling slightly.

Suddenly the Dragonite took off, flying quickly toward Saur. The Grass-type fought it off valiantly with his vines, but there was an obvious disadvantage.

Keeping his eyes trained on the battle, Red failed to notice Team Rocket securing Raikou in a cramped, crate-like cage. The Dragonite, seeing its team nearly ready to leave, slammed its tail decisively into Saur's face. Then it flew to the cage, picked it up and ascended, joining the rest of the Rockets in the air.

Desperately, Red launched Aero's Poké Ball, sending the Flying-type after them in one final shot. Aero screeched fiercely.

The Salamence, itching for a fight, blasted Aero quickly out of the sky. Grinning sadistically, it rejoined its allies. Soon they were out of sight. Strangely numb, Red recalled his Pokémon and turned back to the lab. This couldn't go on much longer.


	8. Chapter 8

**Welcome to chapter 8! I seriously have no idea why I keep taking so long to finish these, because when I actually work on them it doesn't take me long at all. Unfortunately, I'm very lazy and unmotivated. Thank you for the reviews and favourites and alerts and stuff, though, because they're the best motivation ever :)**

**The good news is, I got a pretty good chunk of the next one written today, because I really do feel bad taking a month per chapter, so hopefully I can get that one up a lot sooner. Fingers crossed :) **

**Well, I guess that's all for now.**

**Enjoy!

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**Chapter Eight**

The lab door creaked open, drawing all attention toward it. Red made his way slowly inside, eyes trained on the ground. He let the door swing shut behind him and lifted his gaze, scanning the room briefly and announcing, "They got Raikou."

If anyone heard him, they didn't acknowledge him; the silence returned as though it had never left. Still bound to the chair, the Rocket grinned triumphantly. Baring his teeth, Arckee bit the man's leg, causing him to cry out in pain. Chuckling, Crys patted the Fire-type's head.

Despite everything that had happened, Red found himself smiling lightly. The tension, it seemed, had been broken. Finding this the perfect opportunity to speak, he said, "So how do we fix this? All of it, I mean. I'm sick of seeing Rockets around every corner."

"The first step," Blue said quietly, staring at a spot on the wall, "is to work together." She glanced at Silver, but looked more intently at Red. "No more trying to do things alone. We're better as a team."

"Yeah!" Gold jumped up from his spot on the floor, Ataro tumbling from his lab comically. "All we have to do," he said, seeing he had all attention focused on him, "is to surprise them. Don't even give them a chance to attack."

"That's a lot easier said than done, Gold," Crys reminded him gently. She, too, wanted it to be that easy. "All of their buildings are well-guarded."

"They weren't every other time we broke into them."

Crys nearly replied, before realizing he was right. The only time Rockets had caught them, it had been because someone- Gold, of course- hadn't been careful. They'd managed to free several Legendaries so far by sneaking into Team Rocket facilities.

If possible, Gold's grin widened, seeing Crys unable to respond. Ataro bounded up Gold's leg and torso until he perched happily on top of the boy's head. "See? You _know _I'm right. You guys just complicate things!" Gold bounced excitedly from foot to foot as his friends absorbed what he'd said. Briefly, he tried to still himself, but found he couldn't. The team was back and more prepared than ever to end this once and for all. How could he not be excited?

Gold's enthusiasm was infectious, and soon a collective grin was spread across the Pokédex Holders' faces. Gold felt a stab of pain as he remembered one face was missing- permanently- and a surge of uncharacteristic hatred as his eyes made their way to the Rocket. But he chose not to dwell, and fixed his gaze back on Red as their leader spoke.

"Gold's right," Red began, and Gold absolutely beamed. "We'll try one more time. We won't give them a chance to fight back."

"It won't be that easy, though," Blue interjected. "We'll need to pick the right time."

Red nodded. "So we're doing this, then? Everybody's in?" A nod spread through the trainers. No one was being left out of this battle.

* * *

Though they were no closer to a resolution than they were before, the pep talk seemed to do the trick and everyone remained in good spirits. They had handed their captive over to the police after deciding there was no more information needed from him. Ruby and Sapphire had been called and had promised to stay alert, ready to fly out and help at any time.

All they needed was a plan.

* * *

That came not long after, while Professor Oak and Professor Elm were digging through the Team Rocket computer. The information had been updated regularly since they had gotten access to it, but until now there had been nothing significant enough to form a plan around. Now, however, they just might have found their break.

"Look at this," Oak called over his shoulder to Elm, who was taking a break on a large couch a small distance away. Sighing, the younger man made his way back over to the computer.

"What?" he asked, looking to where Oak was pointing at the screen. His eyes darted back and forth quickly as he read the information.

It was nothing upon first glance- just Team Rocket's plans, which were abundant on the computer. This plan was different, though, in that it presented the perfect opportunity for an ambush.

Elm's eyes were wide as he digested the information. "They're moving them?" he asked incredulously, voice barely above a whisper. "All of them?"

Oak nodded, equally shocked. "It seems they've learned their lesson since the last Legendary was freed. They aren't taking any more chances."

"Except this one," Elm replied. "We'd better call the kids."

* * *

Gold tapped his foot impatiently stirring up a small cloud of dirt as he sighed irritably. Professor Elm had called him earlier, informing him quite excitedly that he may have a plan. Gold had rushed to the lab, only to be told they had to wait on Ruby and Sapphire.

"Gold!" Crys called exasperatedly from beside him. "Stop it. They'll be here soon."

"But we've been waiting _forever_!" he cried, never shying away from exaggerating to make a point. Crys sighed and forced back a retort, knowing it was a lost cause. There was no use arguing with Gold when he was already irritable.

"Finally!" he shouted suddenly, throwing up his arms. His frustration was forgotten and a characteristic grin reappeared on his face. Following his gaze, Crys saw a steadily nearing dot, which was soon clearly visible as Ruby and Sapphire riding on Pilo's back.

Within moments the Hoenn trainers were in front of them, climbing off the brown Pokémon's back. "What _took_ you so long?" Sapphire opened her mouth to respond, but Gold waved her off. "It doesn't matter. Come _on_!" He rushed back into the lab, dragging Sapphire along behind him.

Seeing the confused look Ruby shot her, Crys just shrugged and followed her friends into the building. Some things you couldn't even attempt to explain.

* * *

Once they were all gathered, Oak and Elm stood before them.

"What's going on?" Blue asked, her eyes shifting between the professors suspiciously. "What's the big news?"

"Starting in a few days' time," Elm began, grinning, "Team Rocket is going to move the Pokémon to new holding facilities." He paused, allowing the information to sink in.

Gold's face fell in disappointment. "That's all? What's the big deal?"

Red, though, grinned excitedly. "So we can get them on the move!"

Elm nodded. "We know exactly when and from where they're leaving."

All that was left was to wait.


	9. Chapter 9

**Welcome to chapter 9! At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I really am sorry it took so long. The next one might take a while too, because it really needs to not be stupid. Hope you like this one, though. I thought it was pretty good :)**

**Anyway. We're almost done with this one. :)**

**Enjoy!

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**Chapter Nine**

A rumble in the distance alerted Red to the approaching vehicle, and he grabbed a Poké Ball in anticipation. Sure enough a large, armoured truck rounded a bend up the road and continued on its way, unaware of the boy crouching by the trees on the roadside.

When the truck was close enough that escape was impossible, Red tossed the small red and white sphere into its path. In a momentarily blinding flash of light, Lax appeared. The round Pokémon knew exactly what to do and he spread his arms, catching the truck in his great mass. His feet skidded only slightly as his rubber-like belly took the impact.

As the truck's tires spun uselessly, Red wondered briefly why they never thought to go in reverse. Deciding not to tempt fate, he called out Saur, who destroyed the offending rubber circles. The Rockets inside the vehicle seemed to finally realize they were trapped, and Lax let go of the truck warily.

After receiving a nod from Red, Saur snaked a vine to the door and opened it. Reaching inside, he pulled out a Rocket, then a second, and placed them on the ground in front of his trainer. Red smirked.

Just as the boy opened his mouth to say something witty, however, one of the Rockets regained his senses and, before Red could react, threw a Poké Ball. An Ampharos appeared, beady eyes narrowing hatefully. This seemed to wake up his partner, who followed suit and produced a Victreebel. The Grass-type screeched shrilly and spat bubbling purple Acid onto Saur, who instantly began to shake his head to get it off. That was all it took, and the battle was on.

The Ampharos swung its arm, crackling with electricity, and sent its paw into Lax's belly. The Normal-type grinned, showing off his tiny fangs, and returned a punch. The Electric-type flew back, slamming into the truck and leaving a deep dent.

Meanwhile, Saur, still enraged at taking an Acid attack to the face, glared in complete hatred at the Victreebel. The yellow Grass-type spat another glob of Acid, but Saur was ready this time and swiped it away with his vines. A small spark of fear began to replace the cocky confidence in the Victreebel's eyes. Dozens of razor-sharp leaves were suddenly released from Saur's flower, and while they weren't particularly effective, they worked as good distractions, allowing Saur to grab the Victreebel in his vines and toss it to Lax. Lax delivered a second punch, sending the bell-shaped Pokémon crashing into the front of the truck with the Ampharos.

Red grinned at his Pokémon, then turned a fierce glare at the two shocked Rockets. "Now," he said, as Lax and Saur came to stand by him menacingly. "Are you going to try anything else?" Nearly shaking, the Rockets shook their heads. "Good. Which Legendary do you have back there?"

"R-Raikou," one of them stuttered nervously.

Red nodded thoughtfully, then went to inspect the door leading inside the back of the truck. The lock seemed to require some kind of key, and Red returned to his position in front of the Rockets.

Smiling sheepishly, the Rocket that had spoken a moment ago seemed to realize he needed a key. He produced a small card from a pocket, handing it compliantly to Red.

The card slid easily into the lock, and a beep and a click sounded before the door slid open automatically. Sure enough, the brightly coloured body of Raikou was slumped inside, weakened by several machines. Red lightly tossed a Poké Ball, and Pika appeared in front of him. Pointing, Red instructed, "Destroy those machines, Pika!" The Electric-type complied eagerly. Bolts of crackling electricity burst from his crimson cheeks, shooting straight for the devices hindering Raikou.

Soon, none were in working order, and Raikou's energy slowly began to return. It hauled itself shakily to its paws and made its way out of the truck, hopping down confidently once enough strength had returned.

Red petted its head gently. "I'm sorry I let them catch you, Raikou."

Raikou nuzzled his hand in forgiveness, then turned and raced away. A small trail of dust swept up in its path. "Alright," Red said, eyeing his Pokémon. "Great job, you guys."

Just as he was about to continue, a ringing sounded from his pocket. He reached in and retrieved his PokéGear, answering it without hesitation. "What's up, Blue? Having trouble?"

"No!" She sounded mildly offended, but took only a second to get back on track. "Red, Team Rocket is gathering at the Ilex Forest. Hurry up and get over there!" She hung up without giving Red a chance to respond.

He turned back toward his Pokémon. "Well, you heard her. To the forest!" He recalled Lax, Saur and Pika and called out Aero. As the Flying-type's feet gripped his shoulders and he lifted into the air, he suddenly remembered the Rockets on the ground. _Ah well_, he thought. _It doesn't matter anyway. This is all going to be over today._

* * *

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Giovanni knew he was being foolish. He knew, certainly, that he had no hope of capturing Celebi at the Ilex forest. Even if the tiny Psychic-type weren't all but impossible to catch, those kids would be there. They certainly wouldn't let him get away with his crimes.

But he was far past caring. Everything he had worked to create was crumbling around him. Rockets were leaving so fast his head nearly spun, and calls kept coming in with the distressing news that one Legendary after another was being freed. It was all gone.

He didn't know what to do. There was too much lost to start again- it could take years to build up again what he had had. That was best-case scenario, of course. More likely was that, once all of his forces were gone, he'd be arrested and put away for the rest of his life. He refused to let that happen. So he took one final blind leap, praying that somewhere close by was a ledge to land on.

Giovanni and his remaining forces pushed on. If this was how it would all end, then so be it. He was ready.


	10. Chapter 10

**Welcome to chapter ten! This is it, you guys! The end of the trilogy! I can't belive I've been working on this for over a year. I must admit, though, as fun as it's been, I'm pretty happy to finish it. It's kind of a relief. **

**If you ever read chapter four of Persevere again, please ignore the fact that they went to Mahogany Town rather than Ecruteak. That was my bad. :(**

**For the most part, I think this is pretty good. I'm worried I didn't give the battle enough focus, and the ending might be a bit cheesy. But either way, I hope you like it. More notes at the bottom! And now, on with the finale! :)**

**Enjoy!

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Chapter Ten

The sea of black Green had been expecting to find in the Ilex Forest was much smaller than he would've imagined, though it was certainly nothing to be overconfident about. He remained quietly high in the air on Charizard's back, scanning the ground below and formulating a plan. He was as ready as anyone to have this finally over with.

He couldn't see Giovanni, but he knew the Rocket leader was present. Something about the way a large group of grunts was congregated around one spot tipped him off, and he dutifully kept an eye trained there. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what the man was up to- did he really think he was going to be able to capture Celebi?

Green's attention shifted as he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He fully expected it to be Red or Blue, or even one of the others, so he kept his guard down. This proved to be a mistake, however, when a furious-looking Altaria screeched and proceeded to attack. He nearly laughed- or cracked a smile, at least- at the absurdity of the cloudlike creature, but it proved difficult when he had to concentrate on avoiding the Fury Attacks.

"Charizard, Dragonbreath!" Green ordered, relying on a type advantage to finish the battle quickly. Charizard's powerful jaws opened wide and blue flames flew toward the Dragon-type. Sure enough, the Altaria seemed to take fairly heavy damage, but recovered quickly and used Dragon Pulse.

"Flamethrower, Charizard! Now!" White-hot flames erupted from the Fire-type, meeting the Dragon's attack in the middle. For a moment, there was a stalemate as the two attacks fought to gain control, but they soon exploded, creating a cloud of thick smoke.

This was the moment the Rockets on the ground chose to interfere with their battle. A flock of Flying-types ascended toward Green and Charizard, shrieking and clawing and preventing them from fighting back. Fighting to keep calm, the orange creature spewed streams of flame, singeing the wings and feet and bellies, but still the Flying-types attacked. For every one he defeated, another was quick to take its place.

A brightly-coloured beam suddenly whizzed past, effectively taking out a handful of the enemy Pokémon. Turning, Green saw that this time it _was_ Red, along with a grinning Aero who drew in a deep breath and shot another powerful beam.

"You were supposed to wait until we got here, Green!" Red called with a grin.

Green chose to ignore him, concentrating on finishing off the dwindling supply of Flying Pokémon. There was a flash of blue off to the side, and when he turned he was greeted once again with a furious Altaria. By now, he was beginning to get irritated, and Charizard seemed to sense his mood. Opening his jaws wide, he unleashed more blue flames. Finally, the air was clear.

The victory was short-lived, however. The Rockets on the ground were furious, screaming and shouting at them and demanding they fight. Every so often an attack whizzed past in an attempt to knock them out of the sky.

"We can't go down there yet," Red whispered unnecessarily. "We don't stand a chance."

"What's taking everyone else so long?" Green grumbled, gripping Charizard's neck as he narrowly avoided a bolt of electricity. "We can't wait much longer."

As though they knew they were needed, Gold and Crys appeared suddenly on the horizon. Silver and Blue were visible not long after from the other direction. They landed quickly on the ground, acting swiftly to disarm as many Rockets as possible. Charizard swept his powerful tail into a line of grunts, sending them sailing into the nearby trees. Ataro bounced along unnoticed, snatching Poké Balls and tripping any enemies he passed.

Ruby and Sapphire arrived to give their support just as Blasty was delivering a solid Mega Punch to the jaw of a Nidoking**. **The Poison-type roared and steadied itself, and the two locked hands, each trying to knock the other back.

"Sorry we're late," Ruby called rather sheepishly, before jumping into the fray. Nana snarled fiercely and snapped at the heels of a Hitmonlee. The Fighting-type kicked a foot toward Nana, who expertly caught it in her jaws. With a jerk of her neck, the Hitmonlee was quickly taken care of.

Sapphire didn't hesitate either, and soon Dono was curled into a Rollout, knocked enemy Pokémon aside like bowling pins. The floor of the Ilex Forest was soon covered in Pokémon from either side, a sight that had become painfully familiar as of late. Poli and Poltaro teamed up to take out a Rapidash, while Scizor made quick work of a Shiftry. Parasee eagerly chased down a Hypno, and Sneasel slashed at a Linoone.

Gold and Crys fought nearly back to back, providing each other support. Silver kept a close eye on Blue, who in turn kept glancing at her younger brother figure. She battled not far from Green, who, like Red, kept his attention everywhere.

Few words were spoken, and most of what was said was battle commands. There were surprisingly few Rockets, Red noted, but he decided not to complain. The crowd was thinning quickly, though he figured that had as much to do with their need to win as anything else. Out of instinct, he scanned the group and did a quick headcount to make sure everyone was okay. As he turned his head, he felt his heart skip a beat.

There, at the other end of the clearing, was Giovanni himself.

All of the rage he had learned to push away built back up. His head spun with fury and repulsion, and before he even registered what was happening, he was marching toward the Rocket leader. He paused only briefly to call, "Pika!" to the nearest Pokémon he could see that was his. The small electric mouse's ears twitched and his coal-black eyes sought out his trainer.

Pika spotted Red soon enough, and bounded toward him without hesitation. He had barely taken two steps before his sharp eyes locked onto what the boy was glaring at. Pika's eyes narrowed and he ran quickly to catch up with Red.

* * *

Giovanni turned at the sound of footsteps making their way across the forest floor. His face was blank, and he wasn't surprised at all to see Red making his way over, his Pikachu close behind. The boy looked absolutely furious, but the Rocket leader made no attempt to escape. There was no point.

He watched Red near, and noticed his mouth move. He'd apparently issued Pika an order, as the small Electric-type nodded and ran ahead, cheeks crackling with electricity. Giovanni realized very quickly that he was about to be attacked directly.

Or, he would've been, had an explosion not ripped through the battlefield.

The explosion wasn't particularly big, in fact it was rather small, perhaps the result of two attacks colliding. But Giovanni was very close. A huge, thick cloud of smoke and dust rested over the Ilex Forest. Giovanni felt himself being thrown back, coming to rest several feet from where he had been. He could see Red and Pika not far away; apparently they, too, had been caught in the blast. They struggled to their feet, and Giovanni braced himself for their arrival.

And then, there was a blur of red in his vision.

"Silver?" he asked weakly, though there was no doubt it was his son. Silver kneeled next to his father, face characteristically blank.

Red was beside them now, face still contorted in hatred, and Pika's cheeks resumed their sparking.

Silver's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, and he said, "Don't. You can't kill him."

Red glanced at his younger teammate, and for a moment, neither said anything. Then Red sighed sadly. "I know," he said, fighting away a waver in his voice. "I know."

Giovanni, still on the ground, let out a pained gasp. "Silver," he said. "I'm sorry." Silver said nothing, and the Rocket leader continued. "I only wanted the best for you, Silver. You need to believe that."

"So why did you do it, then? Why did you capture the Legendaries?"

Giovanni let out a tiny sigh. "It was all part of making the world perfect for you. We were going to capture each Legendary, and use their powers to create a world specifically for you. We needed them all for it to be perfect."

Giovanni could feel himself weakening, but before he was out of time, he had one more thing to say.

"Red," he began, voice nearly at a whisper. "I must apologize to you, too. And all of your friends. No one was supposed to be killed. I know it doesn't make it right, and I know nothing will ever fix it. But just know I never had any intention of killing anyone, and I'm sorry."

Giovanni's ragged breath began to even out when he was finished. _That explosion must've gotten me worse than I thought_, he mused, as his eyes began to drift closed.

Moments later, Giovanni's chest stopped its pattern of rising and falling, and he was gone.

Red and Silver sat in silence for what felt like hours. The sounds of the battle raged on behind them, but there was no more use for it. It was finally over.

* * *

The field seemed to stretch for miles, a sea of fresh green grass spreading endlessly in all directions. A lone tree grew tall, shielding the area beneath it in cool shade. Right next to the tree sat a small stone grave marker, etched with a name and two dates- birth and death.

Red sat quietly before the headstone. Pika and Chuchu huddled together not far away. The air was warm, the sun was bright, and if the grave in front of him hadn't told him otherwise, Red would have believed this was a perfect day.

He felt at peace for the first time in a long time. Team Rocket was gone, their leader dead- and although Red wished it hadn't come to that, at the very least they knew he wasn't in hiding. He felt a pang of sympathy for Silver, who had lost a father he'd barely known, but in the end, Red figured, it was for the best.

He'd just finished telling Yellow about their accomplishment, and how much they all wished she could've been there. It was comforting to think that maybe, somewhere, she could hear him. He wasn't sure if he believed in all of that, but it was certainly a nice thought.

With a content sigh, he stood and brushed the dirt off of his pants. Pika and Chuchu bounded after him, and he couldn't fight the small grin that made its way to his face- it had been too long since it had been there. Of course he missed Yellow- they all did, and they always would. But he knew she wouldn't want them to be sad, so he vowed to keep her memory alive, and a smile on his face.

* * *

**THE END!**

**I kind of like the ending, myself. I thought it was pretty sweet, but you may disagree. **

**I just want to say thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, added this (or me!) to alerts, or favourited. It really means a lot, and I really appreciate it, even if it didn't seem like it when I was taking a month to update. **

**Well, that's it, then! It's been fun, but I'm really glad to finally have this done. Hope you enjoyed it! Bye! :)**


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